FRIAS Early Career Fellowship Programme

Programme Objectives

The Early Career Fellowship Programme aims to support promising early-career researchers (ECR) by providing a conducive environment to advance their projects and academic careers. These fellowships are designed to equip ECR with essential skills in research and general training.

By fostering interdisciplinary exchange and innovative research approaches, the program enriches academic dialogue and contributes to the advancement of new ideas across fields.

Who can apply?

The following criteria applied to the 2025/26 application cycle:

Applicants must have a completed PhD plus a maximum of eight years of post-doctoral experience.
4 peer-reviewed publications since 1 January 2020
Applicants must have six months’ research or study experience at academic institution(s) in a country different from the country of their first academic degree by the time of application.
Fellowships will be awarded to individuals with challenging and innovative research projects of top academic quality through a highly competitive, strictly merit-based selection process (expected success rate: ~15% of eligible applications).
Applications are welcome from any discipline that can be supported at the University of Freiburg. FRIAS encourages applicant to learn more about the University of Freiburg’s profile of particular research strengths.

Duration and Commitment

Selection Process

The selection procedure for the FRIAS Early Career Fellowship is highly competitive and merit-based, with an expected success rate of approximately 5%. It consists of three steps:

Eligibility Check: The FRIAS Board of Directors conducts an initial screening to confirm candidates meet all formal and academic quality criteria. Only those passing this stage proceed to the international peer review.
International Peer Review: Qualified applications are evaluated by external experts who assess the candidate’s academic record and the quality and innovativeness of the research proposal. The review focuses on the applicant’s academic excellence, project quality, and suitability, with each factor weighted accordingly.
Final Selection: The external FRIAS Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) makes the final decision, ranking top applicants based on expert reviews and choosing fellows for funding. Selected candidates are informed directly, and others are notified of their status, with a waiting list used as needed.